Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Hey guys, a year after we started our Hunger Games blogging adventure, we're finally a little bit more established and have a clear idea of who exactly we are. Late last night, we changed the names of our other social networking pages to reflect the website:

Maybe, maybe not. But it looks like a solution to solve Lionsgate's money woes.

The companies have resumed discussions that broke down in the past over price and control issues, said the people, who declined to speak publicly because talks are private and there’s no assurance a deal will be reached. Summit has additional suitors, one of the people said. Lions Gate would gain access to the cash generated by the five “Twilight” movies. The first four films have grossed more than $1 billion in worldwide ticket sales for Summit, according to Box Office Mojo. A combination would produce a payday for owners of closely held Summit who formed the studio in 2007 with funding from Merrill Lynch & Co.

Here are my thoughts on this: Yes, it seems a little appalling to us since we despise all the HG/Twilight comparisons, and the idea of having Twilight be affiliated with our beloved Hunger Games is a little repellent. I absoutely love how Lionsgate is handling the entire Hunger Games franchise, and would like it to stay that way. Lionsgate has a great head on its shoulders, and I for one do not want to see anything interfere with that. Maybe the merger would keep things the way they were, I'm not sure. But it seems as if this would definitely help out Lionsgate monetarily, especially since the last couple of their movies haven't done so well.

But hold on! Lionsgate has something really going for them, The Hunger Games. This movie has a great potential to do extremely well, and you know what that means: money, money, money! We're hoping enough to warrant all the sequels which means EVEN MORE MONEY! So I guess what I'm saying is this: Maybe Lionsgate should hold off on any mergers until we see how lucrative The Hunger Games will be?

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

According to Box Office Mojo, the remake of Red Dawn is set to release November 2nd, 2012. This is exciting news for us, because awhile ago we got the opportunity to see this film and can assure all Josh Hutcherson fans it's a must see!!

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

What's a meme? A meme in its most basic form is an idea that gets transmitted from person to person. An Internet meme is an idea (shared in videos, images, catchphrases, etc.) that gets spread virally online. Online, when we say "meme", we're usually talking about Internet memes.

Welcome To District 12 Admins Courtney and Tiffany hold a discussion about the most popular Hunger Games meme on the web. What was going on in the fandom when we saw them and what exactly makes them hilarious.

*Disclaimer: As is the nature of Internet memes, we have not credited the creators of these memes. Why? Because sometimes it is unknowable. One person makes one and it spreads like wildfire. Sure we may see someone post these on Tumblr, but sometimes they get re-posted from a random place on the web. This is the nature of memes, born from the womb of Internet culture. One person may be responsible for the creation, another responsible for the joke. So who created it? We like to think it is the gift from the Internet gods. Just like all the other memes in existence, it just....exists.

Meme #1 -- Hipster Peeta

CC (Courtney) | TG (Tiffany)

CC: I LOVE HIPSTER PEETA. I think Hipster Peeta may be my favorite of all the memes.
TG: When I saw this one for the first time, it killed me.
CC: For some reason, I find Hipster Peeta to be more amusing than if you had Hipster Katniss (which I believe there is) or Hipster [insert HG character here].
TG: I think because Peeta is so nice, it's kind of hilarious to make him into a douche.
CC: Totally. There it is: THAT'S the reason! I imagine him offering Katniss the hot chocolate smugly.
TG: Or he's like rolling his eyes.

Meme #2 -- Advice Peeta

CC: There are many other ones to this one, I think we've seen advice Katniss, advice Suzanne Collins, advice Gary Ross, etc. But again, I find advice peeta to be the funniest. I guess because like you said, Peeta is such a nice person, it tickles me.
TG: Me too! I think this time because I imagine him being very earnest about it.
CC: Also the idea of him having Panera as his enemy....is silly.

Meme #3 -- Rage Comics

TG: HAHAHA!

CC: I thought this was the most hilarious of the rage comics. This is what Hunger Games fans did when they were bored and waiting for casting news. Thus was born innovation and hilarity.

TG: The pokerface frame and the last frame is the best I think.

CC: I agree, her face as she drops it cracks me up. I think what sent me in hysterics the first time I saw this was the last frame where they LOL together. Love the LOL face.

TG: And then the freaking troll face in this one. CC: Peeta, is trolling all of Panem in that moment.

TG: Peeta: Master Troller. CC: Troll in the dungeon! Oh, sorry wrong fandom. Peeta is indeed the Master Troller. I think all the excitement for the trailer/movie news has kind of put a hold on the rage comics, I don't see as much anymore.

TG: Yeah, I agree.

Meme #4 -- The Social Network Class Note

TG: I can't even. LOL this still makes me laugh.

CC: I don't see these anymore, but when this was a trend, I think there was one for every fandom.
CC: I think this is the best it could get for this particular meme because this was during a time when there were no stills yet, so the picture we get is a YOUNG wet and rainy Josh Hutcherson.

TG: Yeah, it's from Bridge to Terabithia. My creys.

CC: So I guess we could segway into this one...

Meme #5 -- #SensitiveBakerProblems

CC: In order of creation.

TG: I love them all
CC: The greatest. I know I said Hipster Peeta's my favorite, but I actually think it's this one.
TG: I'm so happy this has become a running joke.
CC: The more stills we get, the more updated it gets, the more amused I become.
TG: It'll always be relevant.
CC: Going from baby Josh to Peeta Josh, it's all hilariously perfect.
TG: I think it just speaks for itself, the fact that they keep updating them.

Meme #6 -- Socially Awkward Penguin

CC: I think all of Tumblr can identify with SAP (Socially Awkward Penguin).

TG: For sure!
CC: I think it's safe to say Katniss is a little SAP herself.
TG: "She's clueless about boys." [Footnote: See what Tiff is referring to HERE]
CC: UGH hold on I need to rage. ::RAAAAAAAAGE:: /Rage
TG: Apparently to E! Online that's a horrible flaw in a woman's personality.
CC: Oh I'm sorry if she's too busy being poor and desperately trying to feed her family by breaking laws that could get her murdered.
TG: Obviously she must be stoned to death because she can't decide which boy she likes more. [Footnote: referring to this HG-esque story]
CC: Anyway, Socially Awkward Katniss. Great characters in The Hunger Games, Katniss is totally socially awkward and Peeta isn't. Mostly because they grew up in different households, different class levels, different lifestyles.
TG: I do like this meme!

Meme #7 -- Marvelous

CC: Gif reactions are indeed the best way to convey thoughts and emotions on the Internet. So....Marvelous. This one's an up and comer.
TG: I love puns! If I could use that gif for everything I would.
CC: The amount of gifs that will come out once the movie is released on DVD...
TG: Watch out everyone who follows me on Tumblr. I can't be tamed. Will reblog all the things.
CC: Marvelous.....so outrageous.

What's Next for Meme Culture?

CC: Seneca Crane's beard. It's not a meme.....not yet. At least a specific one. The internet is going CRAZY for this beard. I think it will be a fully developed meme in the very near future...

TG: In under an hour that beard became FAMOUS.

CC: That's incredible.

Closing Statements

TG: I just want more of them!
CC: Ditto! I'd like to say to the Internet culture and it's people, just because we have more and more exciting news doesn't mean you should stop making Hunger Games memes, rage comics, etc! We love them!

If you'd like like to find out more about Internet memes, head over to KnowYourMeme.com

I've been thinking about this for awhile, and the more I think about it, the more I will be so sad if it does not come true. I am very adamant about The Noble Collection selling Hunger Games collectibles.

I have been getting The Noble Collection catalog for years, and something from it always seems to end up on my Christmas list. It started when they came out with the Lord of the Rings line and I begged Santa for the Evenstar necklace. Alas, it was a little too expensive for Santa. Now fast forward to the day I could not contain myself when they started coming out with a Harry Potter line. The third movie had just come out and they had the trio's wands, a time turner, and only a couple other things. Santa gave me a Time Turner that year which I will always treasure. Today, the Noble Collection has 187 different Harry Potter collectibles. We're not just talking your run of the mill collectibles, these are high quality items, some priced as much as $500. Don't tell me you wouldn't want the Sword of Gryffindor hanging on your wall.

So as popular as Hunger Games is about to become, I would love to see this fine company produce high quality items found in The Hunger Games. Top of list, no doubt, would be the coveted Mockingjay pin. A real piece of jewelry, much like how the Mockingjay pin is in the books. What else could there be? Well, perhaps Peeta's pearl, Peeta's locket, or a sweet Communicuff. Granted there are not many items you could do, but the possibilities are endless when the movies come out. For example, the Harry Potter books don't go into detail about Hermione's jewelry, but much of Hermione's jewelry in the films are sold on the Noble Collection. See what I mean? Many possibilities.

So Lionsgate, Hunger Games rights holders, Noble Collection, whoever has the power to make this a reality, MAKE THIS HAPPEN! I am more than happy to give you all my money.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

For Elizabeth Banks, playing Effie Trinket in the upcoming screen version of The Hunger Games first clicked into place thanks to the character's signature cotton-candy coif.

"I would be in the hair and makeup trailer and I was Elizabeth, and then the wig went on and very suddenly I was Effie," says Banks, 37. "Every day I would have that aha moment, like, 'We did it! We found Effie!' "

In the best-selling The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins, Effie serves as a publicity agent of sorts for the Games, a cruel arena battle that pits youths, called "tributes," against each other in a televised fight to the death. The movie opens March 23.

"Effie is a very complicated woman," says Banks, who previously worked with director Gary Ross on 2003's Seabiscuit. "She's a spinner. She spins everything into something positive. These kids have been pulled from their loved ones to compete on television in this horrible event in which they will likely lose their lives."

Effie, she says, is "charged with making their last days before they're in the Games as positive as possible, so that they go into the Games with a great attitude. And, of course, that seems crazy."

At the center of the action is the heroine Katniss Everdeen (played by Jennifer Lawrence), whose skills with a bow and arrow aid her survival.

"Katniss is so strong, so courageous, and when faced with this overly positive, super-enthusiastic Effie, [Jennifer] and I definitely had some great moments of conflict," says Banks – who admits to one major drawback in playing the outrageously dressed character.

"For sure the biggest challenge of playing Effie was the shoes!" says Banks. "All of my shoes in the movie are completely amazing but highly uncomfortable. I said to Gary, 'You better be shooting these shoes, because they're killing me.' "

Monday, November 14, 2011

I was asked to submit my reaction to Movies.com on behalf of Victor's Village so here it is!

I have never been so blown away by just a theatrical trailer. In two and a half minutes, Jennifer Lawrence’s portrayal of Katniss felt gut-wrenchingly real, so much so that the Reaping scene broke my heart into a million tiny pieces, leaving me in tears for the rest of the trailer. Seeing the glimpses of the citizens of Panem watching the games, especially the three-finger salute in District 11, is a very welcome perspective and much needed addition. District 12, the Capitol, the training center, the arena – all places that have been no more than words on paper and images in my head – are now concrete, and what’s better is that they are as I have imagined. These places sacred to me have been treated with respect. Finally, the countdown at the end of the trailer as a panicking Katniss is rising up into the arena provides such an ominous feeling that even a stranger to the series will know that this will be a movie to be taken seriously. The trailer brought it in terms of stunning visuals, true to the book scenes, emotion and depth, and phenomenal acting.

The American company has agreed a multi-year licensing deal with Lionsgate, making it the studio's exclusive subscription streaming partner for first-run films in the UK and Ireland.

Under the deal, Netflix will enable subscribers to watch a range of Lionsgate titles in the pay-TV window on TVs, tablets, games consoles, mobile phones and computers - meaning it will stream the films at the same time as they are shown on Sky Movies.

New Lionsgate movies will appear on Netflix within one year of their theatrical release, including The Hunger Games starring Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth, blockbuster action sequel The Expendables 2 and the recently-announced remake of Dirty Dancing.

The Hunger Games trailer held the hashtag, #HeadForTheSquare. Now, each district has a sort of option to run for Mayor on the Facebook page. It doesn't seem to be completely up and running, but enough for us to look forward to various citizens searching for as many endorsements as possible! Register now!

In an attempt to preserve the anticipation and mystery that fans are relishing, the trailer only shows footage from the first half of the film, chronicling events leading up to but not including the Games themselves. After giving fans their first look at all of the book’s beloved characters brought to life, giving viewers who haven’t read the book vital information about the world of Panem, the trailer ends with an electrifying cliffhanger right as Katniss enters the arena.

Gary Ross: I read the book. My kids turned me on to it, and I went nuts. I guess, about a year ago. I literally read it and said, “I have to make the movie.”

And what’s been the best part so far?

You rarely get a tentpole that has this much emotional depth, this much character to dive into. The character of Katniss is . . . incredible. Suzanne [Collins, the author of the books,] did such an amazing job, and painted such a vivid character that I think for me and Jen. . . . It was just exciting every day. Not just from a pure filmmaking perspective, but also just in terms of the depth of the acting and exploring the character.

How did you get Jennifer to play Katniss?

I was just a fan. When you do what I do, any time you see an actor like this emerge—I think everybody’s head sort of snapped, you know? Both from Winter’s Bone and other work that she’s done, I was just always very aware of her. And then I had a meeting with her, and I was just as impressed, and then she came in and read for us and she sort of blew me away. But I wasn’t totally surprised, because I think that an actor like this comes along, you know, once a generation.

I saw her in Poker House—that crazy Lori Petty movie. My friend Selma Blair plays the mother, and so I happened to go to a screening of it and remember going, “Who is this girl?”

Exactly. You have that response with everything—even The Beaver, you go, “Oh my God.” She has so much depth, so much power—she has so much that’s in her control at such an early age.

You also have Josh Hutcherson in the part of Peeta.

He kind of reminds me of a young Jack Lemmon. There’s this incredible versatility to him; he’s wise beyond his years, he’s sort of mature beyond his years, and there’s just such a natural ease to his acting. He’s so comfortable.

You’ve been nominated for four Oscars—is there a different kind of thing when you go in and you take on this kind of—

Piece of pop culture?

Sure.

Well, it’s really just a responsibility to the material. First and foremost, my responsibility is to Suzanne and the readers to give them the same experience they had when they read the book. Or two, even if it’s not the same experience, to sort of give them the same visceral sense they had when they read the book. I’m a fan of the books, so my expectations are just as high as everyone else’s—I loved the material so much that I wanted to do it justice. So it isn’t really that strange, because you want to live up to what the potential of the book is. And I felt the same thing with Seabiscuit. That’s really the biggest expectation.

So in terms of what it is in the culture and everything, is there pressure? No more pressure than I put on myself to live up to what Suzanne has done.

Was she on set for all of it?

Yeah, she came down to the set, but we also collaborated on the last draft together. I wrote a draft, and then Suzanne and I got along incredibly well, and did another subsequent draft, the final draft together. She’s wonderful.

When do you do most of your writing?

First thing up in the morning. I fall into the chair, usually seven in the morning. I probably write from seven to noon every day, and then I’ll sort of take a break and then edit the rest of the day when I’m doing a first draft. I like to kind of get in there before I’ve had a chance to talk to too many people and have other things invade the day—when I’m freshest.

I’m reading the book now—I’m told once you start, you’re not able to stop.

Totally true. And also, [Katniss is] just such a compelling character, and her struggle and her evolution is so beautiful, and that’s what I’m saying. You see the character emerge and grow and have so much strength—she’s a very important character for kids, because she starts off purely in a fight for survival, and by the end of the story, she learns there’s so much more. There [are] things more important than merely surviving—like, what does it mean to actually live?

And Jennifer is just a great fit for it.

She has such command and control of what she’s doing, which is a raw, emotional power—it’s like looking into a blast furnace at times, and it literally can knock you back in your seat. And the rest of the cast, Stanley Tucci and Donald Sutherland and Woody Harrelson, were amazing. I was just so lucky.

Hunger Games fans! Do you live in NYC or the surrounding area? Why not represent The Hunger Games fandom during Monday's Good Morning America broadcast? Who knows, maybe you'll even catch a glimpse of Josh Hutcherson!

If you wanna join in on the fun head over to 44th and Broadway early Monday morning. The earlier the better, but no later than 7 am. In fact, here's what we found:

There is no audience for this show, however, Good Morning America does take ticket reservations if you would like to appear on the street outside of the studio. Many people to come by the studio and stand outside in the background, hoping to been seen by the cameras. If you'd like to do that, go ahead and bring signs and your energy. Please Note: Signs cannot contain Web Adresses or endorse businesses of any kind. No bags larger than a basic purse. No gift cards for the hosts. Must have a Photo ID.

The show tapes Live Monday-Friday, from 7am-9am.

The studio is located at Times Square at 44th Street and Broadway, NY, NY

Naturally since we found out we would be attending this screening, we had total anxiety about it. Obviously we couldn't let anyone know on twitter or anywhere we would be seeing it, not to mention the fact that personally, I still wasn't ready to see scenes from this beloved trilogy come to life on screen. Whenever Tiffany and I would start a conversation about it, we'd always end up going "No, I can't even talk about it." followed by some weird manly guttural sound. This isn't even because we were going to Lionsgate, we were having anxiety about just seeing the trailer.

So we waited anxiously in the lobby for someone to talk to us, counting down the minutes. Soon we met Kimmy from Mockingjay.net, and then the Lionsgate people, who could not have been nicer! They were genuinely excited to have us, and saying how proud they were to show this off. You could tell how excited they were about their product which is a GREAT sign.

So not long after sitting down in our seats did they show the trailer. My heart started beating so fast, I almost couldn't handle it. I had to breathe slowly because the anticipation was truly freaking me out. Tiffany and I held hands.

Two and a half minutes later...

I have my head in my lap because I am crying. In fact, almost everyone was. I don't normally cry in movies (with the exception of the last Harry Potter movie) let alone a trailer. All I am saying is that if you love these books as much as I do, you may want to bring a tissue because it's a little intense. AWESOME INTENSE. I guarantee you guys are going to be so relieved, so happy, and so excited about this movie.

What I loved most about this whole experience is Lionsgate genuine love of this project. You can tell when everyone was talking about it how excited they were about it, and that they could not wait to show it to us. Guys, we have a great thing here. We have studio support and they actually CARE about the fans, what we think, what we want to see and what we don't want to see. We are in great hands.

So, make sure you guys TUNE IN to Good Morning America on Monday morning to see JOSH HUTCHERSON present the trailer. It will show up on iTunes shortly after, as well as it being officially uploaded to YouTube. Make sure you guys watch it on YouTube many times!

Lastly, just a reminder that Lionsgate did tell us that the trailer will indeed be attached to Twilight: Breaking Dawn. I really do recommend you see the trailer on the big screen!

We've had a hunch for a while now, and today Lionsgate confirmed The Hunger Games trailer will in fact be attached to Breaking Dawn.

No, really they told us in person! Today we were invited to Lionsgate for a special screening of The Hunger Games theatrical trailer. Obviously we cannot give details, but we are confident that you are going to love it. Fans of the books, will be fans of this movie. The trailer is a fantastic ride in itself!

While at Lionsgate, they told us that The Hunger Games trailer will indeed be attached to Breaking Dawn, which comes into theatres Friday, November 18th.

But if you're looking to see the trailer when it premieres, then you DO NOT want to miss Good Morning America Monday morning. Josh Hutcherson will be there to present it as well! Every Hunger Games fan should tune in!

Lionsgate co-COO Joe Drake on Thursday told entertainment analysts during a morning call that a distribution deal for the major Asian market was in place.

Asked if The Hunger Games will number among the 20 foreign films okayed each year by Chinese authorities for cinematic viewing, Drake answered coyly: “We will be released in China.”
At the same time, the indie studio's first movie in the trilogy of adaptations from Suzanne Collins' novels, set for theatrical release on March 23, 2012, will not screen in Imax theaters. Drake said other large format theaters owned and operated by major exhibition chains will screen The Hunger Games, but Imax will not follow suit due to a pre-existing agreement with a rival studio.

With much hinging on how The Hunger Games performs in theaters, Lionsgate is also eyeing an aggressive merchandising program to emerge alongside a lucrative movie franchise from the teen book trilogy. Vancouver-based Lionsgate has lined up Striker Entertainment, the same licensing and merchandising agency that handles the Twilight franchise for Summit Entertainment.
“We have the same A-team on board. With their guidance, we will be strong in specialty stores, be very present, but not over-push merchandise going into the theatrical release,” Drake told analysts. The strategy is to first establish the theatrical movie brand before advancing aggressively into big box retailers with The Hunger Games merchandise.

Exciting! China, no Imax, and a merchandising plan! Personally, all this is good news to me. Not everything needs to be on Imax these days, plus I love that they plan on having an "aggressive merchandising program" yet they are not going to over sell thing before the film comes out. What do you think? Do you think not having it in Imax will hurt it's success?

Monday, November 7, 2011

If you've ever been to one and happen to be a huge nerd, you know that conventions are like Christmas morning. Exciting panels, cool stuff to buy, free stuff, and opportunities abound to run up to a stranger dressed as one of your favorite characters to chat or take a picture with them. *Sigh.* It's the best.

Who did we see?!

Me (Courtney) and MARIO!

With our tribute powers combined we saw the cast of All That, Stan Lee, Elvira, Ernest Borgnine, and the best of all, Luke Skywalker himself Mark Hamill. We also saw a fantastic amount of quality cosplayers. People really brought their A-Game! We saw Cosplayers from all walks of life...except no one from The Hunger Games. Then again, there could have been, we just didn't see them. But rest assured that next year, especially after the release of the movie, we will see more Hunger Games cosplayers.

The Panels

"The All That cast reunion was awesome. The cast members each did a few of their favorite and more well known characters (Kel Mitchell did Ed from Good Burger, Katrina Johnson did Ross Perot, for example), and they sang the All That theme song with everyone. They seemed to have genuinely enjoyed their time on the show, and they had an extraordinary amount of freedom for the age that they were when it came to being able to do their own characters.
We ended up attending the Womanthology panel without knowing anything about it. It's a graphic novel anthology created by women and the proceeds go to charity. Many of the stories presented to us seemed interesting and a lot of the art is just beautiful. We encourage everyone to check it out and you can preorder it on Amazon.
Sunday was very much a Steampunk day for us. We went to the Steampunk Fashion and Meet The League of S.T.E.A.M. panels. I've been casually interested in the Steampunk sub-genre (Victorian era science fiction) for a few years, and since Panic! at the Disco released their The Ballad of Mona Lisa video, I've been aware of The League of S.T.E.A.M. They had helped with styling and props and were extras for the video, and also came out to a concert in Los Angeles that I attended to do demonstrations with their functioning props. A few of the League of S.T.E.A.M. members have worked (currently or in the past) for such companies as Disney Imagineering and Jim Henson, so you know that they're legit. At their booth, we watched them demonstrate their working net gun, and if you wanted, they would shock you... LITERALLY." -- Tiffany

Steampunk Fashion Panel

The League of S.T.E.A.M. members (married couple Nick and Robin) showing off the shoes he made her to match his

Taking to the Floor

We handed these out!

So, my trusty Tributes (Tiffany and Denise) and I took to the show floor and promoted The Hunger Games. We sported our Mockingjay pins and "Down with the Capitol! Ask me how!" shirts armed with fancy informational cards promoting The Hunger Games books, TheCapitol.PN, Welcome to District 12, and The HG Fireside Chat. Unfortunately, not as many people approached us as I thought, but I handed out a few cards to people. I definitely learned a few things about promoting things at a convention.

"There wasn't really a Hunger Games presence within the booths. We only found one vendor selling Hunger Games items, Foxwise. Her shop focuses on hand-stamped jewelry. She had other fandoms that I'm interested in, like Harry Potter and Doctor Who, but when I came across a bracelet that said "May the odds be ever in your favor", I was both surprised and really excited, so I bought it! I actually really love it and might be wearing it all the time, and I might just order other things from her in the future." - Tiffany

Tips on Convention Promotion

1.) Design something to give to people. Sure, they will most likely throw it away, but if it's interesting enough they will consider checking it out.
2.) Print out a butt load of them! The reason I didn't hand mine out to random people is that I procrastinated and every printer I used was low on black ink. Had I done this in advance, I would have printed out tons, and might have been able to reach more people.
3.) COSPLAY, COSPLAY. My biggest regret is that I didn't dress up as a Hunger Games character. If you have a great costume, chances are people will ask who you are, and WABAM!! segway into Hunger Games discussion and hand them what you are giving out. There's so many things happening on the floor, you need an attention getter.
4.) Catchphrase!! Sometimes shorter is better. You want to say something intriguing! One of our chosen catchphrases was "The Capitol is watching".

Tiffany's haul.

How was Comikaze?

AMAZING!! We definitely recommend that you go next year. Considering this was their first year, it went very well. Comikaze not only is aiming to be as good as Comic Con, but to offer participants things that Comic Con doesn't. An example of this is THE PRICE. Their number one priority is to ALWAYS make their convention affordable. This will blow your mind: Thanks to Goldstar, we paid a whopping FOUR DOLLARS per day. FOUR DOLLARS, PEOPLE. Regular price was $12. Still, not bad at all! Not only that, but it mingles all the smaller artists booths together. There's no hierarchy of big name booths to smaller ones, everyone's mixed together! It gave a great floor experience.

Tiff's Hunger Games bracelet!

"Comikaze as a whole seems to be the nerd community's answer to what has happened to Comic-Con. Their number one priority is keeping the Comikaze Expo as affordable as possible, and there seems to be an emphasis on those things that have been pushed aside for more mainstream interests at Comic-Con (comic books, manga, etc. being overshadowed by Hollywood hyped movies, for example). Since it was the expo's first year, things seemed a little unorganized and the panels being in "rooms" that were just curtained off areas on the showroom floor wasn't a good idea since it was quite often hard to hear (though it made for some amusing times when whole panels had to stop what they were doing while an announcement was being made over the loudspeakers). We're assuming they'll get the kinks worked out by the time next year's Expo comes around." --Tiffany

In addition to this sweet Unicorn horn, I scored original Star Wars concept prints and Triforce earrings!

The Hunger Games movie is going to be a hair spectacular! “This was one of the most complex, detailed movies I’ve ever worked on,” hair department head Linda Flowers told InStyle.com. “People are going to be blown away by how beautiful and breathtaking it is.” We’ll take her word for it—especially in light of the following stats:

3,000: People who were processed through the hair and makeup tents each week. “Extras couldn’t just have their normal hair. Everyone had to be in the style of the time,” said Flowers.

500: Cast members and extras who had their eyebrows bleached, including Elizabeth Banks, who plays Effie Trinket.

400: Cast members and extras wearing wigs in a single day of filming. “We went with odd permutations of colors like dusty rose and chartreuse,” Flowers said. “The challenge was to make them look couture and sophisticated.”

YES! These stats are reminding me of what The Lord of the Rings set seemed like regarding their hair department (frankly they've set the bar for Hollywood with regards to wig quality). Lots and lots of wigs, we're hoping they're convincing. Also I was hoping for a how-to on Katniss's braid. PLEASE!

Dear E!, Entertainment Weekly, and everyone else: Just so you know, when you compare these two franchises, we die a little inside. This is the last thing many of us wish this was compared to. In fact, we'd prefer it wasn't compared to anything at all. This is a great story in which the B storyline involves a love triangle. That is the only possible thing these two franchises have in common. The power of this story should speak for itself.

Thanks to my partner in crime, Tiffany, for alerting me to this travesty.